The Vatican Information Service is a news service, founded in the Holy See Press Office, that provides information about the Magisterium and the pastoral activities of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia...[+]

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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Vatican
City, 21 November 2013 (VIS) – At 10 a.m. today, in the Consistory
Hall of the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father received in audience
the Patriarchs of the Oriental Catholic Churches, along with the
Major Archbishops. It is the first time since the beginning of his
pontificate that the Bishop of Rome has held such a long meeting with
the Heads of the Oriental Churches and he therefore took the
opportunity to “renew the great esteem for the spiritual heritage
of the Christian East, and to recall Benedict XVI's description of a
Church leader in his post-Synodal exhortation “Ecclesia in Medio
Oriente”. “You are, he said 'watchful guardians of communion and
servants of ecclesial unity'”.

“In
order for our testimony to be credible”, he continued, “we must
always seek justice, piety, faith, love, patience and clemency,
adopting a sober manner of life in imitation of Christ, who embraced
poverty so that we might be enriched; with tireless zeal and with the
charity, both fraternal and paternal, that the bishops, priests and
faithful, especially those who are alone or marginalised, expect of
us”.

Francis
spoke of the good example that the heads of the Churches should give,
especially to priests who expect “transparency in the management of
goods, and concern for every weakness or need”. He concluded by
emphasising that this must all be achieved through “the committed
application of that authentic synodal practice distinctive of the
Oriental Churches”.

Vatican
City, 21 November 2013 (VIS) - “The memorable Vatican Council II
also had the merit of explicitly mentioning that in the ancient
liturgies of the Oriental Churches, in their theology, spirituality
and canonical discipline 'there remains conspicuous the tradition
that has been handed down from the Apostles through the Fathers and
that forms part of the divinely revealed and undivided heritage of
the universal Church'”, said Pope Francis this morning, as he
received in audience the patriarchs and major archbishops of the
Oriental Churches, along with the cardinals, metropolitan archbishops
and bishops of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. The
Congregation, whose prefect is Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, is holding
its plenary assembly in these days, on the theme of the magisterium
of Vatican Council II with regard to the Christian East.

“From
an evaluation of the path taken so far, guidelines will emerge
intended to support the mission entrusted by the Council to our
brothers and sisters in the East: that of 'promoting the unity of all
Christians, especially Eastern Christians'. The Holy Spirit has
guided them in this task on paths through history that have not
always been easy, nurturing their faith in Christ, in the universal
Church and in Peter's Successor, even at great cost, not infrequently
unto martyrdom. The entire Church is truly grateful to you for this!”
exclaimed the Pope. Then, following the example of his predecessors,
he reaffirmed that “within the ecclesiastical community, there
exist legitimate particular Churches, with their own traditions,
which however fully retain the primacy of the Chair of Peter, which
presides over the universal communion of charity, protects the
legitimate differences between them and ensures that the
particularity of these Churches not only does not damage the unity of
the whole, but instead serves it; the Council tells us that this
variety is necessary for unity”.

Pope
Francis commented that the patriarchs and major archbishops had
spoken to him this morning about the situation faced by the various
Oriental Churches, in particular “the renewed vitality of those
long oppressed under communist regimes, the missionary dynamism of
those who refer to the preachings of the apostle Thomas, and the
perseverance of those who live in the Middle East, not infrequently
as a 'little flock' in environments riven by hostility and conflict,
as well as hidden persecutions”. A further problem is that of the
diaspora, one of the key points of the plenary assembly, and which is
growing in every continent. The Holy Father reiterated the importance
of doing everything possible to facilitate “pastoral care both in
the original territories and where the oriental communities are long
established, favouring at the same time communion and brotherhood
with communities of the Latin rite. To this effect, it would be
useful to promote renewed vitality in existing entities of
consultation between the single Churches and the Holy See”.

“My
thoughts turn especially to the blessed land where Christ lived, died
and rose again … and where the light of faith has not been
extinguished, but instead burns brightly. It is the 'light of the
East' that 'has illumined that universal Church, from the moment when
a rising sun appeared above us: Jesus Christ, our Lord'. As a
consequence, each Catholic has a debt of gratitude towards the
Churches that live in the region. From these we may learn, among
other things, the patience and perseverance of the daily exercise, at
times wearisome, of the ecumenical spirit and interreligious
dialogue. The geographical, historical and cultural context in which
they have lived for centuries has indeed made them natural
interlocutors with numerous other Christian confessions and with
other religions”.

“Considerable
worry is caused by the conditions of life faced by Christians who in
many parts of the Middle East suffer gravely as a consequence of
current tensions and conflicts. Tears often still flow in Syria,
Iraq, Egypt and other areas in the Holy Land. The Bishop of Rome will
not rest while there are still men and women, of any religion, whose
dignity is undermined, who are deprived of the basic requirements for
survival, robbed of their future, or forced to live as fugitives or
refugees”.

“Today,
along with the pastors of the Oriental Churches, we make an appeal
for the respect of the right to a dignified life and to freely
profess one's own faith. We must not resign ourselves to thinking of
a Middle East without Christians, who for two thousand years have
proclaimed Christ's name, integrated as citizens to all effects in
the social, cultural and religious life of the nations to which they
belong. The suffering of the youngest and the weakest, with the
silence of victims, poses the insistent question, 'What is left of
the night?' … I therefore turn to the entire Church to exhort her
support in prayer, that may obtain reconciliation and peace from the
merciful heart of God. Prayer disarms ignorance and generates
dialogue where there is open conflict. If it is sincere and
persistent, it will make our voice humble and firm, capable of being
heard by the leaders of nations”.

The
Pope concluded by speaking about Jerusalem, “our spiritual
birthplace. I hope for every consolation, so that it may truly be a
prophesy of that definitive convocation, from east to west, promised
by God”.

Vatican
City, 21 November 2013 (VIS) – Yesterday afternoon Archbishop
Angelo Becciu, substitute of the secretary of State, attended the
funeral held in the city of Olbia in Sardinia, Italy, for the victims
of the recent flood. The prelate, of Sardinian origin, gave an
address at the end of the rites. “As a son of this land”, he
said, “I join with deep affection in your prayers for your dearly
departed brothers and sisters, torn from their families by a cruel
death”, manifesting the Holy Father's solidarity and expressing his
sincere participation following this disaster.

“Pope
Francis is spiritually present among us”, he continued, “sharing
in your anguish, to urge you to maintain hope without giving in to
despair, and hopes that with respect for nature and the necessary
care for this territory, devastating tragedies of this type may be
avoided in the future”. He also remarked that the Pope encourages
all institutions to continue their commitment to providing
assistance.

The
archbishop commented that the Pontiff “entrusts all the people and
families affected by this tragic event to the Virgin of Bonaria, so
that through her maternal intercession the Lord might dry all tears
and heal every wound”.

-
appointed Bishop Thomas Luke Msusa, S.M.M., of Zomba, Malawi, as
archbishop of Blantyre (area 9,166, population 5,166,000, Catholics
1,539,209, priests 93, religious 384), Malawi. He was born in Iba,
Malawi in 1962, was ordained to the priesthood in 1996, and received
episcopal ordination in 2004.

-
appointed Fr. Paskalis Bruno Syukur, O.F.M., as bishop of Bogor (area
18,368, population 16,283,000, Catholics 83,406, priests 76,
religious 205), Indonesia. The bishop-elect was born in Ranggu,
Indonesia in 1962 and was ordained a priest in 1991. He holds a
licentiate in spirituality from the Pontifical University
“Antonianum” and has served in a number of roles, including
master of novices at Depok, guardian of the community of the Order of
Friars Minor at Depok and member of the provincial council,
provincial minister in Indonesia, and definitor general of the Order
of Friars Minor for Asia and Oceania in Rome.

-
accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the
archdiocese of Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, presented by Bishop
Rainer Klug, upon having reached the age limit.